CityLab Daily: Who’s Afraid of the Self-Driving Car?

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What We’re Following

What, me worry? Most Americans expect to see driverless cars on the roads within 15 years. But they don’t expect to own one, and they don’t want to get near one while walking or biking. That’s the takeaway from three recent surveys about the future of autonomous vehicles, according to The Washington Post. A majority of people, ranging from 55 percent to 75 percent across the three surveys, responded that they wouldn’t ride in a driverless vehicle, suggesting that recent crashes have influenced public opinion.

It’s especially interesting to see the mixed feelings among younger people. Last month, 64 percent of people between 20 and 37 told AAA that they’re unwilling to ride in a driverless car, up from 49 percent at the end of 2017. But another survey found that a majority of adults under 34 believe that driverless cars are safer and would make roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Given how many deaths regular car crashes already cause, the question remains the same for the driverless future: Are we programming for a world that’s built for humans, or a world that’s built for cars?

Construction Paper

Congolese artist Bodys Isek Kingelez made impossibly intricate sculptures of buildings and urban spaces using paper, paint, and glue. Now, an exhibit at MoMa features his city dreams and architectural imaginings, revealing a bold and direct vision of what Kingelez wished the world could contain: vivid, colorful, and sturdy structures. CityLab’s Teresa Mathew has the story on these fantastical cities made of dreams and paper.

What We’re Reading

Gay Americans have little to fear from the Supreme Court’s compromise in the case over wedding cake baker (Slate)

These Bronx natives have been here for years. In the midst of rapid gentrification, they say they are taking control and offering the borough cultural experiences that as youngsters, they had to venture downtown to find.